334 Letters, Extracts, and Notes, 



best-known one — we were therefore ignorant of it, is quite 

 unfounded. 



With regard to the criticism on page 118, we have given 

 an unnumbered binominal name as a general heading to each 

 species or group of subspecies, and when a species is only- 

 represented by one form the binominal name is repeated 

 immediately below and numbered, and the authority affixed, 

 e. g. 12. Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax (L.) ; when it is repre- 

 sented by two or more forms, each is given with a number 

 and authority below the binominal heading. 



If Dr. Sclater will read the account of the " Distribution 

 Abroad " of the Honey-Buzzard, he will see that there is 

 some sense in calling it Pernis apivorus apivorus. Dr. 

 Sclater is displeased with our adding the author's name 

 to trinominals, and says that it is not correct to do so, 

 because in many cases the original authors did not use 

 trinominals. This criticism is quite unfounded, because the 

 author's name does not refer to the combination, but to the 

 last name only. This is in accordance with the International 

 Rules and every other Code of Nomenclature. We may 

 also be allowed to call attention to the numerous mis- 

 quotations in the " Comparison of the Names of British 

 Birds according to the List of the British Ornithologists' 

 Union (1883) with the Names corresponding to them in 

 the ' Hand-List ' (1912)." To quote a few examples : — 



Dr. Sclater says we have replaced the name of Turdus 

 atrigularis by Turdus ruficollis ! This is not correct, as we 

 have called the bird Turdus ruficollis atrogularis. The 

 trinominal is due to our regarding it as a geographical form 

 of T. ruficollis, a fact which every ornithologist understands. 

 We have not replaced Sitta ccesia by Sitta europcea, but we 

 call the Central European form S. europcea ccesia, the British 

 race S. europcea britannica, because both are obviously forms 

 of S. europaa europcea. We have not replaced Pyrrhula 

 europcea by Pyrrhula pyrrhula, etc., etc. Dr. Sclater further 

 exaggerates the differences in the two lists by counting a 

 change of genus as a change of name, e. g. Anas crecca for 



